No One Demands Poem by RIC BASTASA

... that there must be respect
to the wings of a fly, a mere fly
on top of a garbage
from your kitchen,

that there must be respect
to a leaf of a mahogany
on a permission to take it
away from a twig,

that there must be respect
for the handful of water that
you drink from the river,

that there must be respect
for the porcupine fish
from the bottom of the sea
even if it's form be
hateful,

the air is sacred
the sea is sacred
the tree is sacred
like every man, every baby,
every eye
every hand
the spider is sacred
and so is the carabao
resting in the mud hole
after a hard day's toil

every carapace
an empty shell
every grain of sand
belongs to no one

respect and live
on the blessings
of Mother Earth.